


Someone Who Believes

by Whedonista93



Series: Spooky Season 2020 [19]
Category: Halloweentown (1998)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27131044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: "Luke is not my boyfriend,” Marnie protests.
Relationships: Luke/Marnie Piper
Series: Spooky Season 2020 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958881
Comments: 17
Kudos: 49





	Someone Who Believes

“So, your first year at H.U. is concluded,” Ethan grins. “Thoughts?”

“Can’t wait until next year!” Marnie decides.

“You mean actually being able to use magic?”

“Precisely. How’s the petition going?”

“To get my magic back?”

“Duh!”

Ethan shrugs. “I decided against it. I’m spending the summer in the mortal world.”

Marnie’s eyes bug. “Really?”

Ethan nods. “Yeah. Dylan offered to… I think ‘show me the ropes’ was the phrase he used? What about you?”

“Staying here,” Marnie says. “Grandma is still flitting around the dimensions with Sophie, so I’ve got full run of the house to myself.”

* * *

The sun has barely risen and Marnie is only half awake when she hears something in the backyard, and lets a hex fly before she can think better of it.

She curses when she spots a familiar head of red hair. “Luke?!”

The goblin rolls onto his back with a groan. “Hey, Marnie. Yeah, good to see you too. I’m great, thanks for asking. Knowing you’ve been here the last six months and haven’t even said hi has been just great.”

Marnie winces guiltily. “I’m sorry. Oh my… gosh, I am the _worst_ friend, Luke!”

Luke shrugs. “Maybe, but I don’t have any others, so you’re still the best I’ve got.”

Marnie flinches again. “Lay it on, why don’t you?” She offers a hand.

He takes it and shuffles to his feet.

“What are you doing anyway?”

“Aggie asked me to take care of her garden.”

“Oh, right. Of course. Uh… do you have to do that now?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No!” Marnie holds both hands up. She blushes. “Since when am I so bad at talking to people?! I was going to ask if you’d let me buy you lunch?”

* * *

"People watch you guys, you know," Aneesa remarks idly when Marnie comes back from dinner one night. "I don't think anyone has ever seen a goblin with a witch. Some of the more old fashioned people don't like it, but most people think you're a good couple."

“First, that's an archaic worldview! Second, Luke is not my boyfriend,” Marnie protests.

The genie rolls her eyes. “You had a _minimum_ of two standing dates, every week, through the whole summer.”

“We were catching up! I’ve been a terrible friend and I’m trying to make up for it!”

“That could explain lunch every Wednesday. But it doesn’t explain dinner _every_ Friday _and_ most Saturdays, _at your house_.”

“We’ve been teaching each other how to cook our favorite dishes! Friends do that.”

“Since school started, he brings you lunch at least twice a week.”

Marnie shrugs. “He told me he doesn’t think I should have to suffer cafeteria food all the time.”

“You guys go out to dinner every Friday night.”

“School starting was not an excuse to let our friendship fall apart again. Friday night dinners are a good routine.”

“He’s in our dorm watching movies every Saturday night.”

“There’s tons of movies from here I haven’t seen! And even more from the mortal realm that Luke hasn’t seen! Besides, you’re almost always there for those too.”

Aneesa quirks a brow. “Flowers.”

Marnie blushes. “He’s still taking care of Grandma’s garden!”

“And that requires bringing you a fresh bouquet every week?” Aneesa smirks. “You are _reaching,_ Marnie.”

“I…. uhm… crap.”

Aneesa’s smirk grows.

“I don’t even know if he likes me like that!”

The genie groans. “Are you kidding me?! You _forgot he existed_ for six whole months, he forgave you in exchange for a smile and a mediocre lunch, and he still looks at you like the sun shines out of your-”

“Okay! I get it!”

"Do you not want him to be your boyfriend?"

"No!"

Aneesa's jaw drops.

"Wait!" Marnie backtracks. "I don't want… I don't not want… ugh! Yes, I want him to be my boyfriend! What do I do?"

"Talk to him? Or, I don't know, just kiss him?"

"'Just kiss him', really, Aneesa?"

Her roommate shrugs. "I promise he wouldn't object. I swear you can do no wrong in that boy's eyes."

Marnie closes her eyes, trying to recall a memory hovering at the edge of her mind.

_"I need someone who believes anything is possible," Marnie tells Luke. "Do you believe that?"_

_Luke looks up at her. "If you’re there, yeah."_

"I don't deserve him," Marnie admits quietly. "He's always had this… unshakable faith in me and I…"

"Don't deserve him?"

Marnie laughs a little wetly. "Yeah."

"Why don't you let him decide that," Aneesa suggests softly.

* * *

Knocking on Luke's door, which she's done a thousand times before, suddenly seems like the most daunting task Marnie has ever faced. He opens the door, amusement shining in warm brown eyes, the fourth time she raises her fist and drops it to her side again without knocking. He's in jeans and a well worn old t-shirt, and Marnie's eyes linger on his biceps when he crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe.

Luke clears his throat.

Marnie's eyes snap to his face as she blushes hotly.

Luke smiles, a genuine, little thing that she's realized only ever comes out when she's around. "I'm curious."

His voice snaps Marnie out of her own head. "About what?"

"Nothing scares you," Luke says softly. "But whatever's on your mind… you tried, and failed, four times, to knock on a door you have a key to."

Marnie blinks. Key. She has a _key_ to Luke's _house_. She also has a drawer of spare clothes in his bedroom and an extra makeup bag in his bathroom. Likewise, Luke has a drawer of clothes in her room at Grandma's, and a bag on the floor of her dorm closet. Because more often than not, dinner nights and movie nights end up with them crashing whenever they're at before either of them can even consider going home. Marnie decides she's an idiot.

Luke waves a hand in front of her face. "Marnie?"

Marnie blinks, and realizes it's probably not the first time he called her name. Before she can overthink it, she decides to take Aneesa's suggestion. She steps forward, right into Luke's space. When he doesn't pull away, she rests one hand on his chest, above where his arms are crossed, and raises her other hand to his face. Luke's breathing goes a little shallow, and his eyes go a little wide, but he still doesn't pull away, so Marnie goes up on her toes - when had he gotten _so_ much taller than her? - and presses her lips to his.

Luke's eyes flutter closed. 

Marnie pulls back, but leave her hands in place.

"Am I dreaming?" Luke asks a little shakily.

"No."

Luke opens his eyes and looks down at her. "You really just kissed me?"

Marnie nods.

Luke blinks, then beams, bright and happy and uncrosses his arms to wrap them around Marnie and haul her into his chest. He buries his face in her hair and holds her tightly. "I didn't… you didn't want to… I couldn't tell if you… I-"

"I'm an idiot, Luke," Marnie cuts him off.

Luke chuckles. "You actually wanted to kiss me."

Marnie smiles softly. "Yeah."

Like pulls back enough to look down at her. "Will you do it again?"

"One condition."

"Anything."

Marnie goes up on her toes, crowding in close until her lips barely brush his as she answers. "Kiss me back this time."


End file.
